Director of Policy and Advocacy

About Media Literacy Now

Media Literacy Now (MLN) is the leading national, nonpartisan advocacy organization working to ensure every K-12 student in the U.S. receives comprehensive media literacy education. Founded in 2013, MLN drives policy change at the local, state, and national levels through a top-down, bottom-up approach: supporting legislation and state education policy while building grassroots networks of advocates in states across the country.

More than half of U.S. states now have media literacy laws on the books, and policy is moving quickly as lawmakers respond to social media, cell phones in schools, and AI-generated content. MLN's work is now shifting from passing laws to making sure those laws have an impact on classroom instruction through clear standards, professional development, accountability and community support.

MLN publishes the *U.S. Media Literacy Policy & Impact Report*, the national reference on the status of state-level and national media literacy policy.

Position Summary

The Director of Policy and Advocacy leads MLN's national policy agenda and state advocacy strategy. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director tracks and shapes media literacy education policy across the states, equips and supports MLN's volunteer State Advocates, develops grassroots-level advocate capacity, and turns policy wins into implementation in schools. The Director manages a small team of one part-time staff member and several consultants and serves as MLN's lead voice on policy with legislators, state education agencies, coalition partners, and the media, along with the Executive Director.

Reports to

Executive Director

Supervises

Several policy and advocacy consultants

Works closely with

Volunteer State Advocates, coalition partners, MLN staff and board

Schedule/Compensation

Full time $85,000-$90,000 (part-time may be considered)

Location

Remote, United States; occasional travel for convenings, conferences, trainings and partner meetings

Key Responsibilities

Policy strategy and analysis (approximately 30%)

• Develop and carry out MLN's annual national, state and local policy agenda in partnership with the Executive Director.
• Track and analyze media literacy, digital wellness, and AI literacy legislation, classroom standards, teacher education standards, and state education agency actions in all 50 states.
• Identify priority states and opportunities each legislative session based on political conditions, advocate capacity, and likely impact.
• Draft and review model legislation, policy briefs, testimony, comment letters, and talking points.
• Lead research, data collection, and writing for the annual U.S. Media Literacy Policy & Impact Report.
• Monitor federal policy developments and advise the Executive Director on national opportunities.

State Advocate engagement and support (approximately 30%)

• Serve as the primary staff partner to MLN's network of volunteer State Advocates.
• Recruit, onboard, train State Advocates, and build their skills in coalition building, legislative advocacy, and work with state education agencies.
• Provide state-specific strategy, coaching, and materials during legislative sessions and standards revisions.
• Convene State Advocates regularly to share progress, lessons learned, and resources, and foster a strong peer network.
• Recognize and retain volunteers, and keep their work visible to the board, funders, and partners.

Implementation and partnerships (approximately 15%)

• Help states move from passed laws to classroom practice by working with state boards of education, school districts, teacher associations, and education partners.
• Represent MLN in national and state coalitions and build relationships with policymakers, and allied organizations.

Team and consultant management (approximately 15%)

.

• Scope, contract, and manage policy and advocacy consultants, including setting deliverables, monitoring progress, and managing consultant budgets.
• Manage the policy and advocacy budget and contribute to annual planning.

Communications, fundraising support, and reporting (approximately 10%)

• Serve as a spokesperson on policy with media, legislators, and the public.
• Keep MLN's work consistently nonpartisan in substance and in tone
• Partner with communications staff on policy updates, action alerts, website content, and advocate resources.
• Provide policy content for grant proposals and funder reports, and participate in funder meetings as needed.
• Report on goals, metrics, and outcomes to the Executive Director and board.
• Ensure MLN complies with lobbying rules for 501(c)(3) organizations and tracks lobbying activity accurately.

Qualifications

Required

• Experience in policy, government relations, or advocacy, including at least 3 years leading state-level campaigns.
• Working knowledge of state legislative processes and how state education agencies adopt standards and guidance.
• Track record of organizing, training, and motivating volunteers or grassroots advocates, ideally across multiple states.
• Experience supervising staff and managing consultants or contractors to clear deliverables and budgets.
• Excellent writing skills, including legislation, policy briefs, testimony, and plain-language materials for advocates.
• Strong public speaking and relationship skills with legislators and their staff, agency staff, coalition partners, and the media.
• Ability to work across the political spectrum and keep advocacy nonpartisan.
• Comfort working independently on a remote team, with strong organization and follow-through, as well as technical proficiency with online tools and communication platforms.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Preferred

• Experience in K-12 education policy.
• Familiarity with media literacy, digital literacy, AI literacy, or related education fields.
• Understanding of 501(c)(3) lobbying rules and reporting.
• Experience with coalition leadership and multi-state advocacy networks.
• Experience with legislative tracking tools, CRM or volunteer management systems, and virtual convening platforms.
• Advanced degree in public policy, law, or a related field.
• Boston-area based

To apply: Send cover letter and resume to [email protected]

No recruiters please.

Pay: $85,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Work Location: Remote